Tuesday, December 30, 2014

If you like an overabundance of nutty and sweet... This pull apart bread is for you. It's yeasty, doughy, crunchy, and sweet. We had this pull apart bread for Christmas morning and we found we didn't even need the honey syrup. It has all of the flavors of Baklava, minus the pesky hassle of Phyllo dough.

In a small bowl, activate the yeast by combining the 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast with the warm water and sugar. Whisk quickly just to combine and allow it to rise for 5 minutes, until bubbly.

To make the dough: Fit stand mixer with dough hook attachment. In a small saucepan, combine the 1/4 cup unsalted butter and 1/3 cup of milk. Stir over medium heat just until the butter has completely melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine 2 cups of the flour with the remaining sugar and salt. Add in the yeast mixture, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir together on low speed for 2 minutes then increase to medium and mix until the ingredients are well incorporated. Start by adding in a 1/2 cup of flour, a little at a time and up to 1 whole cup. You want the dough to pull away from the sides but still be slightly sticky. Knead for 2 minutes or until smooth.
Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, prep the filling.
In a small bowl, stir together the 1 cup of sugar and cinnamon, set aside.
In the bowl of your food processor combine the pistachios, walnuts, almonds, lemon zest and salt. Pulse 4-5 times until the nuts are chopped. Add in the vanilla and pulse just until large clumps form. Set aside.
In a small sauce pan, combine the honey, water, and salt for the honey syrup. Heat over medium until it starts to bubble and then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened and reduced by a third. Pour into a heat proof container and cover.

When your dough has doubled in size, turn it out on to a floured surface, gently flatten.

Roll out into a 20x12 inch rectangle. Don't worry about having a perfect rectangle.

Brush the 1/2 cup of melted butter over the top. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and sprinkle the nut mixture evenly over the top.

Slice the dough into 6 horizontal strips and gently stack each strip on top of each other. Slice into 6 semi-even squares.

Prep a 9x5" loaf pan with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray. Layer each stack, standing upright into the loaf pan.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow the bread to rise in a warm place until doubled and fills the pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until a dark golden brown on top and completely cooked in the center.

Allow to sit in the pan for `15-20 minutes so the bread doesn't fall apart upon inverting. Remove the bread from the pan, drizzle with honey syrup or serve on the side.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

I'm really not the biggest eggnog fan. Growing up, we used to have Christmas at my Aunt's house and she would serve boozy eggnog (not to the children! Don't get your panties in a bunch...) All I ever wanted was the little chocolate cup they would serve it in.

These scones though, are a whole different story. They are moist, slightly spicy from the cinnamon chips, and the eggnog makes them uber creamy... They are the perfect sweet treat with your Peppermint Mocha or on Christmas morning. The best part? They can be pre-prepared and frozen for a quick breakfast after a long night of Santa-ing...

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice until combined. Work in the cubed butter until the mixture is crumbly, if larger pieces of butter remain that is ok, it makes for a flakier scone. Add in the 3/4 cup of cinnamon chips and stir to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, and 3/4 cup of the eggnog. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix on low just until it comes together. Dump out dough onto floured surface and shape into a 3/4" thick rectangle. Cut to your desired shape, I cut mine with a round cookie cutter but if you like the triangular shaped scones, shape dough into a round and cut into triangles (like a pizza).
Place scones on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining 1 Tablespoon of eggnog and sprinkle with sugar. Place the entire cookie sheet in the freezer to set up while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Bake the scones for about 20-25 minutes or until golden.
Scones are best enjoyed warm... Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Everyone loves trying new festive foods and crafts during the holidays. Link up, visit each others links, and help each other with inspiration and to see what everyone is making this Holiday season.

This party will run from December 10th until December 20th. Link as many times as you like and don’t forget to stop by the other links.Please no link parties or etsy shops. Also, don't forget to enter our Holiday giveaway! The winner will receive 2 gift cards and some other great items to help with your Holiday shopping! A winner will be selected and notified on December 21st . Make sure to enter below! Good luck and we can't wait to see what you've been working on!
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder/soda, and salt, set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter. Add in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Mix in the vanilla. Gently mix in dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk but starting and ending with the dry mix until incorporated. Stir in the cranberries and white chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over bake.
Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack.

Mix together ingredients for your frosting and spread evenly over the top, sprinkle top with dried cranberries. Allow frosting to set.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the white chocolate chips and vegetable oil. Microwave for 30 seconds or until completely melted, do not over heat.
Using a spoon, drizzle the chocolate over the top of the frosting and cranberries.
Allow the chocolate to harden, slice, and serve.

I am in love with the moist butter cake studded with tart cranberries and crunchy, milky, white chocolate chips. This bread is the perfect festive treat... Enjoy!